12 Things People With Chronic Pain Understand

Chronic pain can make the day to day life difficult for the person having it. It impacts every single aspect of daily life, from hygiene to sleeping, to relationships. There are lots of things that people who have never experienced this condition will unable to understand. So, if you find yourself in the constant company of pain, you might find these 12 things very familiar.

1. Managing pain is more than pills

Besides taking their regular meds, a person can also exercise, self-care, meditation, patches, and many more things to manage his or her condition. These things can work as tools to minimize the impact of chronic pain.

Using pills is not the first option that a person has. They only use the medication when they know that other remedies will not be sufficient in providing relief.

2. Pain changes everything

People experiencing chronic pain find it hard to remember what life was like before the onset of their condition. People live vibrant and expressive lives as compared to the dull lives of people with chronic pain.

This condition changes everything, like how people use their time and energy, what jobs they can do, and their relationships.

3. Some days are easier than others

People struggling with chronic pain for a long time might find some days to be a lot easier and some to be extra excruciating.

4. Doctors without pain don’t always understand

While medical professionals do their best to take care of their patients and provide the best possible treatment, there is a lot that they don’t fully understand about chronic pain. There is a false narrative that young people cannot have chronic pain, and the use of strong medications always leads to addiction.

5. “Have your tried ___?”

It is often the most asked question. Though people’s intentions are good, these types of questions are usually pointless, as the person having pain will do a lot of research themselves to get rid of it. If they are sharing their frustrations with you, that means they don’t need a strategy. Instead, they want empathy.

6. Never knowing how you will feel in the morning

Every day is a new adventure when you are living with chronic pain. The starting of the day is even more mysterious, as a person doesn’t know how much pain they will be going to wake up with, and it will change during the entire day.

7. You LOL when asked questions like, “Do you have any pain today?”

Visiting a doctor can become a regular thing for people with chronic pain. They usually ask about the pain and how much of it a person is having. Sometimes this question becomes so mundane that one cannot help but laugh at it. Even though they have a valid reason to ask such a thing, but the fact that they have to ask makes it weird. 

8. Medications don’t entirely remove pain

Even after taking the medications regularly, the pain does not magically disappear. It is always present in some intensity.

9. The feeling of relief you get when painkillers start working

With the symptoms of pain interfering with the functioning of life, the relief a person gets from the medicine can seem magical. The medicine helps reduce so many issues that they become more productive and start to feel like themselves, instead of struggling to get by with their life.

10. People don’t always understand the meaning of “chronic.”

Family and friends might say things like, “hope you will feel better soon.” Though they mean well, the reality is chronic pain did not just stop after a while. It is constant and only varies in intensity. Sometimes it is hard to explain to them.

11. Waiting for medications brings both pain and anxiety

When a person runs out of medication and has trouble getting the next dose to decrease the painful sensation, it becomes tough for them to cope. People might see it as an addiction, but it is about getting relief from pain and fully participating in life.

12. Support is everything

Having someone around who can understand what you are going through can be a blessing. It brings so much relief to talk to someone who knows what it is like to deal with chronic pain. They can give advice that might help—having someone around who deals with a similar condition can have a good impact on a person’s mental health.